What IS a Christian?

Posted by Lacy in Christian Living on Sunday, January 10, 2010

There are many ideas, assumptions, explanations, and "beliefs" out there today about what a "Christian" truly is. Some say one is a "Christian" when one simply believes on Christ, or says a prayer, or when one just decides they want to be called a "Christian".

According to the Scriptures, to be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ, a disciple of Christ…. Christ-like. The world and modern Christianity of today have a very shallow, unBiblical view of a "Christian". To them, a Christian is simply someone who has "said the prayer" and are still living in a continual life of sin. This is not God's view of a Christian.

The world says a Christian does not have to live holy (but rather they say a Christian sins daily), but the Bible teaches us that Christians must crucify self, die to sin, and strive to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The world says that a Christian can sin and still be a Christian, yet the Bible says "he that committeth sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:8)

So, according to the Scriptures, what is a Christian? We must definitely throw out the view of a Christian that the world has, and adopt the view that our Lord has of a Christian.

Beginning at square one… a Christian is:

one who has been born again (John 3:3, John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:23)
commanded to depart from iniquity [sin] (2 Timothy 2:19)
to be holy, as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16)
to be perfect (Matthew 5:48)
to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12)
to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12)
to be a peculiar person (1 Peter 2:9)
to take up his cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38, )
to deny himself (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)
to die to sin (Romans 6:2, Romans 6:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:7… Romans 6!)
to crucify the flesh and the old man (Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:6)
to obey Him and His Word (Hebrews 5:9, 2 Thess 1:8, Matthew 7:21, and many, many others)
one who has repented of his sins (Matthew 4:17) and forsaken them (Isaiah 55:7)
one who obtains righteousness by faith through Jesus Christ (Romans 4:5, Romans 4:9, Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:9)
not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2)
to present himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1)
to abhor that which is evil (Romans 12:9)
to think on things that are honest, pure, just, lovely, of good report, virtue, praise, and true (Philippians 4:8)

You can't just say a prayer, and then poof! All of a sudden you're a Christian. No, my friends. A Christian is a follower of Christ and one who obeys His Word, repents and forsakes his sin and strives to live holy and godly, soberly and righteously, in this present world, by the grace and power of God!

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The Christmas Spirit

Posted by Lacy in Christian Living on Saturday, November 29, 2008

After seeing my neighbors put up their 'christmas lights', hearing about people putting up their 'christmas trees', and seeing the results of the poll, I decided that it was about time I started writing up my post on the subject of christmas.
While this may be a touchy subject, I think that it needs to be addressed. We as Christians must go back to God's Word, and examine the things we do by Scripture to see whether they are of God.

The question of the poll was, 'Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?' 46 votes were for Yes! and 26 for No!.

As many might have guessed by now, our family does not celebrate christmas, nor has now for some time. We used to, yes, until we discovered its pagan roots and practices. We have actually been preached at for not celebrating this so-called Christian holiday.

The very name of "Christmas" is unScriptural! It is clearly a combination of words meaning "Christ's Mass" or "The mass of Christ". There is nothing in the Word of God that even hints at such a term. It immediately reveals its link to the Roman Catholic church. We're not commanded to remember his birth, but we are commanded to remember his death.

I have heard this phrase many times:: Let's keep Christ In Christmas

My impression of it is that it's kind of hard to keep Christ in christmas when He was never there to begin with, since christmas is a pagan holiday with pagan roots, I don't think the Lord would be, or would want to be, associated with it.

Why would we, as Christians, want to participate in something that the rest of the heathen, ungodly people of the world participate in? We are clearly taught from Scripture to "Learn not the way of the heathen" and not to be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers". Participating in a holiday that the rest of the world also participates in is certainly yoking ourselves up with unbelievers! All the God-hating, Christ-denying, and sin-loving pagans get excited about this day.
Jeremiah 10:3-4 seems to sum up the 'christmas tree' pretty good, wouldn't you say?

For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Nowhere is 'christmas' taught in the Bible to be observed. It is not part of the "faith which was once delivered unto the saints" nor is it Apostolic doctrine! The Bible teaches that we are to flee fornication, idolatry, and covetousness. We are not to love the things of this world, nor are we to to be like this world, but the 'christmas spirit' promotes all these sinful things that the Lord commands us to abstain from! It was not celebrated by Jesus himself, the apostles, or the early church.

We're commanded to worship God "in spirit and in truth". What, exactly, is true about christmas other than Jesus was born into a body of flesh? There were no wise men at His birth, there were no presents given to 'honor the birth of Christ', there were no decorated trees, no flashing 'christmas' lights, no holly hanging over the door, no wreaths, no one maxing out their credit cards to fulfill the lusts of their flesh, no one teaching their children to be covetous, nor was there anyone 'making out a christmas list' of things they want!!!

It is clear that the origins of christmas are from an ungodly source. We are commanded to "try the spirits" to see whether they are of God, and to "prove all things" and "hold fast to that which is good". Christmas is a conglomeration of heathen customs and practices that have been 'Christianized' by man, not God. There's plenty of information out there on the origins of christmas for those truly interested.
I have also heard that, depending on what you make out of it, the origins of christmas can be overridden. The Scripture is clear on this issue as well:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. (1 Corinthians 10:21)

Some might say that a Christian can celebrate christmas in a proper Christian way, but is there really a Christian way to celebrate a pagan holiday? No, for it is not of God. We are supposed to 'come out from among them, and be ye separate' and to be a 'peculiar people, zealous of good works'. Are we separating ourselves and being a peculiar people if we celebrate the same worldly holidays that the rest of the heathens and ungodly people do? No, absolutely not!

My heart is saddened as I look around and see so many Christians deceived into believing that christmas is Biblical. So many that fall into the trap that Satan has so cleverly laid for them.

We received a book catalog in the mail today, and I browsed through it checking to see if there were any good books. I came across a book with this title "We Believe In Christmas"… The description? "Help your 4- to 7-year-olds understand and honor the origins and meaning of Christmas!" So, now we're teaching the children to honor the pagan origins of an ungodly holiday? Created by man, celebrated by the world, pagan Roman Catholic traditions! Why, oh why, are countless Christians caught up in it?

We must separate ourselves from world and it's heathen ways. We must return to the truth of God's Word! We must not imitate the world but Christ in all things, for if we deceive ourselves now, the price will be eternal.